Pincushions!

Does anyone else have a pincushion that looks like mine?  It's just too stuffed and doesn't work properly! I'm always grabbing more than one pin or bent pins and my favorite tiny, vintage pins get lost in the sea. I guess every now and then one must perform a spring cleaning of the pincushion, eliminating bulk and what not, but I don't and certainly don't plan to!

After discovering this problem, I thought I could will myself to put the pins back in a less-saturated way. But oh no... we get in a rhythm while sewing and these pile ups just happen. Over and over I watch myself stick the pin in the same spot, like a small child decorating the Christmas tree!

Another complaint: the upholstrey weight fabric I used was  too thick to quickly stab a pin into, so many a pin tumbled to it's death, forever lost to the land of playful kittens, dust pans and unhappy feet.

All this to say that I decided to make a new pincushion and ended up with two extra! I put them in my ETSY shop and if you want one, go get it!!

Did I mention that they're hedgehogs?? Yeah, they're cute little hedgehogs...

Mandy & Myrtle

Mandy & Myrtle aren't spoken for...

If you buy one in my shop and write me a note that says something like... "I read your blog and want a hedgie!!" I'll refund your shipping! FRee Shipping if you mention my blog! Woo hoo! Bargin.

Hop to it kiddos!! Your hedgie awaits!

Pile of hats...

I'm still obsessed with sewing, but just a little less since the i-cord border has entered my life. I can't believe I've never done it before! It makes such a nice, clean edge to these hats and a super cute way to add a splash of color. The black and white hat on top is made with bulky yarn and is quite helmety, but I'm into it. I added string ties to one of them and was thinking I'd eventually do it to the rest, but I'm not sure. I like how they look without ties, but it's certainly more practical to have them... for keeping the ear flaps in place and all. Hmmm...

Regardless, I have to decide which one I want, then I'll put the rest in my Etsy shop. I'm hoping to write patterns for them too.

Sewing = My latest obsession.

I didn't do all that much of it in Brooklyn, because it seemed to take up too much space. Also, my sewing machine was a bit too heavy to keep dragging out all the time. In a perfect world, I'd have a room big enough to have the machine set up and ready to go at all times. Of course there would also be a gorgeous collection of threads on the wall to choose from, stacks of beautiful fabrics organized by color and magical 'infinity' bobbins that never need re-winding, but let's get real!  Most of the time, my fabric is a mess or I don't have enough for what I want to do. Plus, I usually give up on the pattern early and do my own thing, only to realize that the pattern contained some important information/steps I should probably have paid attention to. (This coming from the girl who writes patterns for a living, duh.) Needless to say, I have a lot of unfinished sewing projects in my possession. These sewing disasters are far less forgiving than my pile of knitting 'mistakes' which can easily be pulled out and re-knit. It's definitely important that I keep hangDesign it Yourself Clothes by Cal Patching on to them though, despite the fact that I will NEVER actually finish them.  

Lately, the sewing bug has hit me. Perhaps because in Maine, I've been able to spread out. Or perhaps because I have a sewing machine here that can do more than just a straight stitch plus a mom who works at a bookstore and gets me awesome craft books and doesn't seem to mind me taking over the dinning room table for weeks on end... 

 

It started with Design-it Yourself-Clothes by the wonderful designer/maker/teacher (and my friend)  Cal Patch.   As someone who has wanted to make her own clothes for like, forever, I was really excited to get this book. I started with the first project, a skirt, and have already learned so much about darts, seams, translating paper pattern to fabric, thinking three dimensionally and on and on. It's such a cute book. The photos are light, airy and inspirational. Her voice is encouraging, humorous and extremely approachable. With each turn of the page, I couldn't wait to get started.

One day I decided to make the little elephant from Last Minute Patchwork Gifts:

Then I got One Yard Wonders and launched into a holiday making frenzy!

I made the car caddy & the origami tray seen on the cover for my mom.  For my six year old pal, Eleanor, I made an apron that turns into a little bag!

 

But perhaps the BEST thing to happen in my sewing life... stumbling upon an unfinished project left by my Great Aunt Wilma: a very "late seventies" cloth quiet book. She had all the pieces cut out, labeled and organized in envelopes. The pages were ready to go and all I had to do was attach everything, which in my opinion, was the easier and more fun part. Thanks Wilma!! There were enough materials to make two books, so I gave one to Eleanor's sister Clarissa, who is the perfect age for it!! From what I hear, it was a hit!

 

 

Tiptoe Cardigan for Spud and Chloë

My latest addition to the Spud and Chloë pattern lineup called the Tiptoe Cardigan! I think this is my favorite design yet! I loved working each section a little differently. Even the sleeves! For a hot second I thought it might be too busy, mostly because of teasing from a friend who shall not-be-named, but I'm glad I trusted my own instincts. Adding the fabric flowers really tied it all together and I had so much fun making little fabric yo-yos for this that I really haven't stopped since.

Tiptoe Cardigan for Spud and Chloë by Kim Hamlin

How cute are these??

I was just doing a little research on "reindeer stich patterns" and came across the cute DIY cards from a company in the UK. I want them all!! (click on individual photos for more info)

Holiday Themed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flowers:

Using beads!A tractor?!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foxy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 oh la la lady

 

 

 

Wise owls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't stop!!!

Coordination

When random things line up in unexpected, pretty ways, my heart goes pitter-pat. I like to pay attention and let such moments inspire me. In fact, this is why I wanted to start this blog in the first place... to point out that inspiration is all around. It's not necessary to seek it out, 'work hard' or over think to find it, it's just there.

Some might not think it's worth the few extra dollars to buy fancy patterned page markers over the cheap post-it kind. Some might find page markers in general a frivolous expense... but I use them liberally, so the fact that I now have pretty printed ones instead of florescent yellow (thanks mom!) makes me really happy. It's so small and simple, but it really does brighten my day.  Look...

The page markers completely match the book cover! It's so cute, I just want to leave it laying around so everyone can see how 'together' I am! (ha)

So then later on in the week I was putting away some yarn that I had lost interest in using. It had been sitting around in the drawer/basket/pile for so long I just wasn't inspired by it anymore. Since it was taking up prime real estate in my room, I decided to put it in a storage bin, but then an awesome thing happened. These five skeins lined up next to each other, in this exact order, I kid you not. A perfect color scheme for a baby blanket I had just decided to 'think about' making. And so it was...

And the stitch pattern swatch I have going...

Remarkably close to the page markers and book, wouldn't you say??

 

New Project: Quilt Restoration

Thank goodness for friends of your mom who cast off treasures like this:

A finished quilt top in need of a little love... Oh bliss! I love quilts that are mostly white with all these cute little pattern pieces. Now I can get right to my favorite part which is hand quilting the layers together.

First I'm going to iron the top piece so that all the petals are flat and take out the old ties. Then I'll get some cotton batting to make the 'sandwich' with the backing fabric. I haven't quite decided about the backing fabric yet. Should I go simple and get a nice quality, whole cloth back that's just white? Should I get a cute little patterned fabric, like flowers or polka dots? Or should I piece together a back using the old fabrics I have downstairs at my moms house? Part of me thinks that piecing the back together would be the most resourceful, 'quilterly' and congruent with the style already set forth. There aren't too many non-cotton fabrics, so I don't think the maker was cutting up old shirts and dresses or anything! I'm not sure if these are feed-sack fabrics, but they certainly point that way. Perhaps she got a bag of scraps from the fabric store?

I think I'll investigate the fabrics downstairs first, to see if any would match, then go from there. I also want to add borders on all sides of the quilt top, since the motifs are currently quite close to the edges. I don't want anything too distracting though, no patterns. I would go with white, but trying to match the current color would be impossible and would probably look terrible. So I'm thinking a subtle, muted solid color like a light green, gold or coral. Something unusual to satisfy the artist in me. This is so exciting!

I plan to quilt around the outside of each motif and at the same time, tack down any loose tips. This is probably not the 'right' way of doing it, but I thought it would conserve time and thread. If I'm going to be going around anyway... why spend hours tacking down loose tips before hand? Not to mention tying all those knots?

Any suggestions for what I should do in the center of the flowers?

Etsy Update

I just added two new lace cuffs to my Etsy shop. Hopefully I'll have more time to update the shop while here in Maine. I'm really into the color of these photos. I think I took them this summer when I had a crazy tan from being outside all day, almost every day. I also can't believe I took them myself, holding the camera with my other hand! Not bad right?

What I made today

Ok, so to be honest,it's what I made today and yesterday. Mostly yesterday, I just ran out of light to photograph.

I was inspired by this post by Wren Handmade, guest blogging on Design*Sponge, to make fabric yo-yos. I actually made a bunch for a recent sweater design which I can't show yet, but here are some that I grouped together for a necklace. The pink fabric is from a vintage slip and the striped is a yummy silk taffeta. I like adding tiny buttons, especially in groups of three, to spice things up. I pulled out all the stops here, using buttons and fabric I've been hanging onto for a long time, but I'm glad, because it makes the new pieces feel like little treasure chests.

This post by Love Forever, along with the latest Anthropologie catalog showing(see necklaces below) inspired me to make my own version of a collar necklace.

Bit's of lace, many buttons, knit coral, chain, a locket, beads, yo-yo, embroidery... so again, a treasure trove of things I had lying around just waiting for a home.... all atop a piece of wool felt tied with vintage, silk seam binding.

 

 

 

Check out the awesome sloppy seems on the curtain I made! SO obvious with the sun behind them. I'm just not a perfectionist when it comes to sewing. I get started and blaze on through like a tornado. It's a little silly, but usually if you see me sewing, I'm procrastinating. Any "tiny sewing project" quickly turns into a major undertaking, so I just want to "Get er done!"

 

Also, here's a little buddy who'll be joining me at the flea market tomorrow. I found his unfinished form when moving into my studio, so I decided to finish him... or her? Her legs are quite long. Perfect for hopping!

 

 

Life...

In my new studio...

 

Clipboard inspiration boards. I think I'll hang three more, since you just have the clip on the top, it limits how much you can hang on each without covering up what you want to see. I kind of like that though, because I tend to veer from the minimalist pursuasion and it's nice here to have less.

Figs, goat cheese and honey for lunch 

It's nice to have time for frothed milk in my iced coffee...

 

 

New Office, New Job

Well sort of. It's more like the same "job" I''ve had all along, just more of it!

This month I've decided to take myself a bit more seriously. That is, what I make, sell, design, build, think... etc. The great thing is that I now have a beautiful room to do it in! Finally!! The biggest challenge is to do the administrative, computery things that actually make the dollars. Like, I need to make a new business card, I need to find new stores to carry my work, I need to post more on ETSY, but I also need to think of new things to make!

As a maker or more speciffically, a seller of handmade things, I often get stuck in a rut. It's important to clarify because I find there's no shortage of creativity for home/personal projects, perhaps because they are a wonderful source of procrastination, but it's different thinking about things to sell. I want everything to be special and one of a kind because I feel it's important, yet, I also don't want to slave away on each item so I can sell it for a reasonable price. (Note to buyers of handmade things: please don't haggle! We crafters already WAY undersell and while we'll probably agree, that two or three dollars you save directly translates to one can of beans we then can't afford to buy. It's not like we have 401k or anything here!) While I want each item to be unique, I also want them to be similar enough to fit into my overall aesthetic or brand. And then there are the things that just always sell well not matter what... but I get tired of making them!

I didn't go to business school. I don't know the "rules" for making major dollars (obviously) but I do know this: my best selling days occur when I am actually inspired. When I've had a great week of making and bring to the table, literally, new and never before seen products that excite me. Sometimes I halfheartedly make and think, "Oh, there's totally a girl who would buy this." And maybe she does. But the best is when I finish something and love it so much that I almost don't want to sell it. Then I get the customer who paces by the table three times, has obvious exclamation points at the end of their sentences and look SO giddy tucking their new thing into their bag. The whole day of selling can be just about that.

I have to remind myself, constantly, about this. To stick to my guns and invest in myself. To sit and really think about what I would like and then make it, because that is what people buy. Not that I have some amazing product that the world couldn't live without. Not that I'm some authority on fashion or anything and I think people should listen to me. I just think our minds have certain tendencies for a reason. Crafting and making comes so naturally to me that I forget other people are not as inclined or capable. I don't want to sound proud or braggy, I just think there's a time in your life where you have to claim your expertise and roll with it. I'm tired of being caught in my own personal inner limbo between wanting a much easier, "real" job and what I know to be true of myself... that I can do this.

Bureau before

Bureau After

Wall before

Getting organized is a little messy!

Elfa Shelves!!

A whole box just for sticky stuff!

Louis helps

Brooklyn Fleas: Cooler than most...

Hoorraaaaaaay!! It's flea market time again! Well, for me at least. The Brooklyn Flea has been going strong all winter in Dumbo, for a few weeks now in Fort Greene and is soon going to launch a new, under the Brooklyn Bridge location (umm, rad!) I was so busy rehearsing for a performance that I just couldn't get it together for the flea until now. I'm super excited to go back and see all my flea pals tomorrow and hopefully make some more!!

My plan is to go every other weekend, so I can hopefully last all summer! I start this Saturday!

Here are my dates:

May: 2, 16, 30

June: 13, 27

July: 11, 25

August: 8, 22

 

 

Keep your fingers crossed for no rain!!!

 

 

Make It! Worry Dolls

As a crafty child, particularly drawn to obsessively detailed activities, I could often be found hunkered down at the dining room table going to town with my next patience testing endeavour. My top three = friendship bracelets, fimo beads and worry dolls. My mother not only encouraged my craftiness, she generously provided a full arsenal of supplies and schooled me in the art of keeping organized. I think I spent more time wrapping my flosses onto bobbins and deciding what color order they should be kept in than I did making the dolls themselves. Considering how many dolls I actually made, that's pretty impressive.

A couple of years ago I came across the tattered instruction sheet for these dolls and knew I had to make them again. I figured if I wanted to make them, there might be others who'd like to make them too...

One of the reasons I switched my blog over to the Purl Beehive was to be able to put up projects like this and reach more people. I've always wanted to make how-to projects a bigger part of Inspired Living and this seems like the place to do it!

 

Today I'm launching a new category called Make It! which will be the place to find craft ideas and their instructions.  YEah!!

 

If you would like to make some worry dolls too, check out the instuctions here.

 

Have fun and if you make some, send me photos! I'd like to start a flickr group of blog projects one day!